Women in NSW deserve better

Marie Stopes Australia is disappointed that the women of NSW will not be provided the same access to care for their sexual and reproductive health than other Australians, following the defeat of the Abortion Law Reform Bill 2016 in Parliament today.

Marie Stopes Australia CEO Michelle Thompson applauded members of the NSW Legislative Council who supported the Bill and a woman’s right to care for her sexual and reproductive health.

“The decision to have an abortion is ultimately a decision about sexual and reproductive health”, Ms Thompson said.

“And that decision should rest with the woman and anyone else she chooses to bring into this process.”

“It’s not an easy decision to have an abortion, and it is not one a woman takes lightly, but it is her decision.”

“At Marie Stopes Australia, we see first hand the impact that more compassionate and accessible laws have on women and men. They help to de-stigmatise an already difficult decision and provide better health outcomes.”

Marie Stopes Australia Medical Director Dr Philip Goldstone said measures such as the safe access zones have made a difference to the patient experience elsewhere in Australia.

“We hope that at the least, we can see safe access zones implemented in the near future in NSW because it certainly does make a difference to women and men accessing sexual and reproductive health services.”
Marie Stopes Australia is the only national family planning organisation giving Australian women and men real reproductive choices. Our network of Dr Marie clinics provides tens of thousands of women and men each year with the highest standard in sexual and reproductive care, while our non-profit pharmaceutical company, MS Health, brings innovation in sexual and reproductive health medicines to the Australian market. We are a social enterprise that invests our profits in providing women across the world with access to contraception and safe abortion services – to give all women children by choice not chance.